The present invention relates to a seal assembly for sealing between a relatively rotating shaft and housing.
Various shaft seal assemblies have been designed for sealing between relatively rotating parts and typically include a metal oil ring fixed relative to one of the parts, a metal guide ring fixed to the other part, a flexible oil seal member fixed to the oil ring and sealingly engaging the other part to retain lubricating oil within the seal assembly and a lip or dust seal between the oil seal ring and the guide ring to protect the oil seal from the exterior environment. Such seal assemblies have also included flexible spacer members made of low friction material fixed to one of the rings for slidable engagement with the other of the members to prevent crushing of the lip seal between the two rings. Such sealing assemblies have had reliability problems due to high temperatures presumably caused by friction between the one of the seal rings and either the lip seal and/or the spacer member. Accordingly, an oil seal assembly is desired which is more resistant to the destructive effects of heat.